Portugal’s centre-right bloc wins election, falls short of majority

Portugal’s centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won the Sunday’s snap parliamentary election but once again fell short of securing an outright majority. The result means the country will likely continue to face political uncertainty, as no single party commands enough support to govern alone.

AD, led by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, secured 89 seats in the 230-seat parliament—just nine more than their previous count, but still short of the 116 seats needed for a majority.

The centre-left Socialist Party and the far-right Chega party were locked in a close contest for second place, making coalition talks a key part of what comes next in forming a stable government.

This was Portugal’s third general election in just three years. The latest vote was triggered just a year after the AD formed a minority government. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was forced into the polls following a failed vote of confidence in March, which was sparked by concerns raised over the involvement of his family’s consultancy firm.

“The Portuguese don’t want any more snap elections, they want a four-year legislature,” Montenegro told cheering supporters. As people chanted his campaign slogan “Let Luis work,” he said the result showed that people had faith in him and that the opposition must now respect that vote.